Adar Poonawalla had tweeted to Joe Biden in April, asking for the embargo to be lifted (File)

New Delhi:

Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla has thanked US President Joe Biden and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for a “policy change” that is expected to boost production of coronavirus vaccines in India and other countries.

Mr Poonawalla said the policy change – revoking an embargo on the export of raw materials needed to produce the vaccine – will “strengthen our united fight against this pandemic”.

“Thanks to the efforts of President of the United States, the White House and Dr S Jaishankar, this policy change will hopefully increase supply of raw materials globally and to India; boosting our vaccine production capacity and strengthening our united fight against this pandemic,” he tweeted.

Thanks to the efforts of @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, & @DrSJaishankar, this policy change will hopefully increase the supply of raw materials globally and to India; boosting our vaccine production capacity and strengthening our united fight against this pandemic. https://t.co/bHADBwiUnm

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) June 4, 2021

On Thursday the US lifted an embargo imposed in February, under its Defense Production Act, to ensure local manufacturers, including Pfizer, had resources to produce doses for its population.

A statement from the White House said the Biden administration is now “confident in our supply of our authorized vaccines” and “as a result, we’re removing DPA priority ratings for AstraZeneca (the vaccine manufactured and sold in India by the Serum Institute as Covishield), Novavax, and Sanofi”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in the United States last month to discuss the pandemic and ways to “work with the US on vaccine production”.

“… because the US in terms of the supply chain, for vaccines, is absolutely indispensable,” he said.

The US has also said India will receive Covid vaccines from surplus stock in that country.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday night to say 25 million doses of Covid vaccines would supplied to India and other countries in need as part of the US’s “Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing”.

The US plans to share at least 80 million vaccine doses globally by the end of this month.

After the call the Prime Minister tweeted to thank the US and Vice President Harris for the support.

In April Mr Poonawalla had tweeted to Mr Biden to urge him to lift the exports ban.

“Respected POTUS, if we are to truly unite in beating this virus, on behalf of the vaccine industry outside the US, I humbly request you to lift the embargo of raw material exports… so vaccine production can ramp up,” he said.